RTA opens Trade Centre Bridges Project on Tuesday

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to open on Tuesday December 10th the Trade Center Bridges project, Zaabeel; following the completion of all construction works in the project costing about 719.37 million dirham. The RTA has also completed the construction of a footbridge near the World Trade Center stretching 92 meters and fitted with two electrical lifts in each side to accommodate the huge number of visitors to the Center. The project opening coincides with the celebrations of the UAE 42nd National Day. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, said: "The project enables direct traffic movement from Al Khail Road 1 near the Dubai World Trade Center in the direction of Sheikh Rashid Road, and from there to Al Garhoud '&' Al Maktoum Bridges as well as Oud Metha Road. Similarly it also provides direct traffic flow the other way round from Sheikh Rashid Road to Al Khail Road 1 and from there to the Parallel Roads passing across Burj Khalifa district." "The Trade Center Bridges Project is one of the largest '&' most important phases of the Parallel Roads Project; which is one of the biggest road projects currently undertaken by the RTA aimed at linking the Western Parallel Road with the Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed and Al Khail Road 1 at the front of the World Trade Center. The Project also serves the traffic in the opposite direction of Al Khail Road 1 heading towards Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud Bridges as well as the Dubai-Al Ain Road. It also includes improvements in signalized junctions at the Trade Center in addition to infrastructure and lighting works," added Al Tayer. "The project encompasses the construction of 22 bridges of precast concrete units forming a corridor spanning 4250 meters comprising two lanes in each direction together with a concrete ramp extending 120 meters added to serve the traffic outbound to Al Maktoum Bridge," he explained. "The RTA has accomplished key phases of the Parallel Roads Project, the last of which was the opening of vital sectors of the Improvement of the Parallel Roads Project at JAFZA South, extending from the northern part of the road leading to Al Houdh R/A up to the 10th Interchange of the Sheikh Zayed Road. Project works completed also included improvement of the Eastern '&' Western Parallel Roads in both directions within Jebel Ali Industrial Area, and JAFZA South, through constructing six bridges and four footbridges to ease the pressure on the Sheikh Zayed Rd, and the Industrial Area, besides establishing a link between the investment and economic zones of the Dubai World's projects, connecting them with the surrounding roads, linking Jebel Ali Port with Al Maktoum International Airport, and providing a road leading to the Expo Road of JAFZA. Last May, the RTA opened the service road leading to the Expo Road, and last December it opened a lane linking Al Maktoum Airport with JAFZA South. It also opened 12 light signals on the Parallel Roads Project at the Business Bay; linking Sheikh Zayed Rd, Al Khail Rd and the Business Bay district, and offering a smooth traffic flow in Emaar and Business Bay districts through the Eastern and Western Parallel Roads," elaborated Al Tayer. It is worth-mentioning that in September 2011 the RTA opened Phase III of the Parallel Roads Project serving sprawling urban developments in areas such as Jebel Ali Racecourse, Emirates Hills, Springs, Meadows, Jumeirah Islands and Jumeirah Park. The Road, which extends about 20 km, constitutes 14% of the total Parallel Roads Project, and comprises 3 to 4 lanes in each direction as well as 6 bridges and 3 underpasses crossing the eastern and western roads. The RTA had earlier opened Phase I of the Parallel Roads Project including the construction of roads at Al Barsha, and Al Qouz Industrial '&' Residential Areas extending from Hessa Road to the south up to Meydan Road to the north in a sector extending 15 km in the Eastern Parallel Road and 18 km in the Western Parallel Road, comprising three lanes in each direction. The roads intersect several arterial '&' express roads such as Umm Suqeim Road, Latifa bint Hamdan Road in addition to arterial '&' local roads, including 25 signalized junctions. Work is up and running in Phase III at Jumeirah Lakes Towers where completion rate has exceeded 80 per cent, and construction works in the project which costs 450 million dirham are set for full completion by the end of this year.